Phone: 1.877.304.DENT(3368)

Blog

Pandemic is Driving Large Increases in Claims for Mental-Health Drugs

Pandemic is Driving Large Increases in Claims for Mental-Health Drugs
The Coronavirus Pandemic is driving large increases in claims for mental-health drugs. Claims for medications treating mental health issues such as anxiety and depression have reached 97% of 2019’s total claim volume, by the end of August 2020. This is according to new data from Express Scripts Canada. 2020 has also seen a 20% increase…
Read more

COVID-19 Support for Small Businesses in BC – New Update

COVID-19 Support for Small Businesses in BC – New Update
In May we wrote an article about the Updated COVID-19 Aid Package for Small Businesses in BC. Since then the virus has slowed in some areas and resurged in others. Since May with businesses reopening, the government of BC has announced its ongoing COVID-19 support for small businesses in BC. This information was last updated…
Read more

Overall Employee Health will be Important to Small Businesses Post-COVID

Overall Employee Health will be Important to Small Businesses Post-COVID
While the same was true before the pandemic, it has become clear over the past few months that overall employee health will be important to small businesses post-COVID. Many savvy business owners know that the physical, psychological, and financial components of health are all interconnected. In May 2018, Desjardins conducted a survey to measure these…
Read more

How the BC Employer Health Tax is Expected to Impact Employees

How the BC Employer Health Tax is Expected to Impact Employees
Before COVID, one of the biggest stories in BC was the new BC Employer Health Tax, or “payroll tax.” This new tax coincided with the elimination of MSP monthly premiums paid by individuals, effectively shifting the financial burden of health care premiums from individuals to business owners. Now that some time has past, here is…
Read more

Group Benefits are Evolving towards Flexible Plans

Group Benefits are Evolving towards Flexible Plans
Group benefits are evolving towards flexible plans in a response to changing employee needs and the inability of traditional benefits packages to address all employee concerns. According to the 2020 Sanofi Canada Health-Care Survey, 72% of Canadians still have a traditional plan and 28% have a flexible (flex) plan. That is an increase from 2017…
Read more

A Growing Employee Well-Being Focus for Group Benefit Plans Post-Pandemic

A Growing Employee Well-Being Focus for Group Benefit Plans Post-Pandemic
According to a new survey by Arther J. Gallagher & Co. there is a growing employee well-being focus for group benefit plans post-pandemic. While currently 72% of employers said they will make minimal or no changes to their benefits coverage in 2021, 21% are expecting to change the design of their group benefit plan. That…
Read more

How Will Paramedical Services Reopening Affect Benefits Plans?

How Will Paramedical Services Reopening Affect Benefits Plans?
Paramedical service providers have started reopening their practices across the country. Some provinces are waiting until June 5th to reopen providers; however, all paramedical service providers must follow their regulatory colleges and Ministry of Health requirements for physical distancing and sanitization. While we enter our “new normal,” how will paramedical services reopening affect benefits plans?…
Read more

Employee Well-Being Considerations for a Post-Pandemic Return to Work

Employee Well-Being Considerations for a Post-Pandemic Return to Work
As federal and provincial governments begin implementing their plans for slowly opening the economy, employers are faced with several unique challenges to ensure their business remains a safe place to work. There are a number of employee well-being considerations for a post-pandemic return to work, for the purposes of this article we are going to…
Read more